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Post by stoneage on Mar 13, 2009 2:18:33 GMT
Mmmm. Everything I find, from Nat Geo on, lists the size right around 6 meters.... then again the hospital walls appear to be moving at the moment.... Anyhoo, it seems a bit on the small side, but no one ever said every toy had to represent the absolute largest of any given species. Good to see your around Teton, hope you get to come home from the hospital soon. So it appears my estimate on size was pretty close to right on the money. Get Well!
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Post by stoneage on Mar 13, 2009 2:21:24 GMT
^^^ I know, but it would be worth it ;D Yes kind of a miniature diorama!
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Post by dinonikes on Mar 13, 2009 2:52:56 GMT
Regarding the Opthal- since it is just an embryonic state and since I really didn't research it very weel as it was an impulsive sculpt I will probably just start a new one at the 5 or 6 inch size- might fifnish up the 4 inch one at a later date but for now wnat to make it a larger one-
I've been thinking a LOT about doing a pterosaur of late as it is an animal type i have always wantedto do since reading Gregory Paul's great book on these critters- this is what I am thinking- Yes, the on the ground folded wing Quetzal pose was much requested by members early in the thread- but this is one I have in mind- a larger species probably - flying low above the water- its lower beak tip just lowered into the water just starting to break through the surface-as if just about to scoop up a fish- the base would be the water and it would be supported by the lower beak skimming through the surface of the ocean- wings spread out- I can see it in my head and it would be so very much cooler than many reconstructions i have seen so far of these cool flying animals- the grounded folded up wings pose would be cool, but could be a later one-as it has been done before- for now I think i want to get this other idea out as it would be a very dynamic sculpt- might even start it this weekend as it has been on my mind of late- pardon me if it seems that I jump around with these sculpts a bit starting more before i am finished with ones already started - just the way i roll- I tend to work on many projects at once-
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Post by [][][]cordylus[][][] on Mar 13, 2009 2:55:36 GMT
That sounds neat dinonikes. I have never heard of a model quite like that before.
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Post by dinonikes on Mar 13, 2009 2:57:00 GMT
I am actually stealing the idea from a bird woodcarver I saw who did this idea with a tern or something like that- always thought that would be cool to do with a pterosaur instead-
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Post by bmknj17 on Mar 13, 2009 3:06:24 GMT
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Mar 13, 2009 4:35:50 GMT
I've seen the same image myself somewhere...any pterosaurs are fine with me...
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Post by kikimalou on Mar 13, 2009 8:02:06 GMT
Don't worry, I was just interrested in knowing where you found a six meters one. On my Google "france", the first 20 sites spoke about 3 to 4 meters ophtalmosaurus. Perhaps we had smaller one here ? It's a joke. The Douglas palmer encyclopedia says 3 meters and a half The Dixon's illustrated encyclo gaves a 3,5 meters (11ft) And at least, and it's the most funny, The BBC wwd's complete guide to prehistoric life spoke about a 4m, 13ft, one. The BBC guys are not agree with themselves. Here is a link to a site devoted to Ichthyosaurs, in English : www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/motani/ichthyo/index.htmlI think a 4 meter one would be a safe investment.
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Post by tetonbabydoll on Mar 13, 2009 8:12:44 GMT
The Macmillian Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals gives a length of 3.4 meters. Steve Parker's Complete Guide to Dinosaurs gives 3-5 meters. So, It looks like Malcom's may just be right smack in the middle of normal range?
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Post by kikimalou on Mar 13, 2009 8:40:56 GMT
More news about the serious wikipedia : I found the Italian Wikipedia page about ophtalmos. Only 4 meters in Italy. Ah Ah it.wikipedia.org/wiki/OphtalmosaurusPerhaps it's a problem of fishing quota rules.
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Post by tetonbabydoll on Mar 13, 2009 8:53:59 GMT
Maybe the 6 meter one was the "one that got away"? It was THIS big......... ;D
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Post by dinonikes on Mar 13, 2009 10:53:25 GMT
Well it sounds like I could probably do the 4 meter length Opthalmosaurus and be ok, but I think I will kick it up to 5 to play it safe- that photo of the tern brett posted is just what I was thinking for the pterosaur- probably pteranadon- would be pretty cool i think-
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Post by Meso-Cenozoic on Mar 13, 2009 11:03:36 GMT
Malcolm, I remember you appreciating the art of James Gurney in my Dinotopia thread awhile back. Well, look what came up when I Googled "Pterosaurs skimming the ocean for fish" A Quatzal skimming the ocean for fish, lol!
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Post by crazycrowman on Mar 13, 2009 13:47:53 GMT
A few years back I butchered a JP pterosaur to make a "skimming" Thalassodromeus - clearly based on this image and based on skimmers. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077453/This guy - I'll have to get a couple pictures...mine is kind of ugly.
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Post by [][][]cordylus[][][] on Mar 13, 2009 13:50:38 GMT
A few years back I butchered a JP pterosaur to make a "skimming" Thalassodromeus - clearly based on this image and based on skimmers. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077453/This guy - I'll have to get a couple pictures...mine is kind of ugly. You used the JP3 Tapejara, didn't you?
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Post by crazycrowman on Mar 13, 2009 13:55:18 GMT
Nope - actually used a little plastic pteranadon from one of those JP dinos, 2 dino to a bag sets.
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Post by bmknj17 on Mar 13, 2009 14:05:13 GMT
The bird in my pic is a black skimmer in case you want to Google Image other shots.
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Post by [][][]cordylus[][][] on Mar 13, 2009 14:10:40 GMT
Nope - actually used a little plastic pteranadon from one of those JP dinos, 2 dino to a bag sets. Really? That must have been hard work!
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Post by sbell on Mar 13, 2009 14:35:04 GMT
Not to be pedantic, but there is one issue with the skimming pterosaur image: www.livescience.com/animals/070723_pterosaur_noskim.htmlI am not sure how follow up research has gone, but it appears that drag forces on the water surface would have snapped the neck of any pterosaur (and most birds) if they tried to skim the surface. Stabbing quickly into the water would work though. That said, aesthetically it would look very cool. But I would never be able to get past the moment after the image (as in that Quetzal picture) where the pterosaur's head then flips forward over its beak, snapping the neck like a twig.
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Post by crazycrowman on Mar 13, 2009 15:31:31 GMT
^ Had never heard about that. Thanks for posting the link sbell!
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